"Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants,
she's ahead of her time. Oh, and she never gives out,
and she never gives in,
she just changes her mind."
-Billy Joel

After a rousing conversation that had claimed the better part of an hour, Shuichi found himself feeling far more positive than he had at the commencement of their meet up. Speaking with Davina had proven to be even more stimulating than he had anticipated, and they had shared a great deal about themselves with one another over the short duration of time they had been in each other's company. There was a natural flow to their exchange, one that required little prompting and hosted little more than short pauses, the transition from one subject to another nearly effortless and simple to delve into.

It was a inspiring sort of discussion, one that genuinely kept his interest and only prompted the urge for more—they had shared the predictable information about their families, tidbits about their personal lives, their goals, and had since moved on to their preferred hobbies and musical tastes. Shuichi was pleased to learn that they both shared a love of reading the same genres of books, and enjoyed much of the same music. It came as relief to be given the opportunity to learn more about her, and as such, she no longer felt like a stranger to him. In truth, Davina now felt more familiar to him than he could have ever anticipated as being possible from one extended interaction. He found himself harboring a fondness for her that hadn't been present prior, and while the notion carried a lot of weight with it, he didn't allow it to dissuade him.

Davina's mood, much like his own, had taken a considerable turn for the better, and her enthusiasm had made her much more animated, which only encouraged him to match her level of energy. Despite their rocky start, Shuichi had to admit that he was rather enjoying himself—they had the patio area more or less to themselves, as everyone else in attendance at the café was inside, enjoying the band that was playing. The echoes of the music could be heard from where they perched, and the side of the building that led out onto the porch vibrated with the force of the melodies that lingered from within.

With their beverages long depleted, Shuichi made the offer to grab them fresh drinks, and Davina readily agreed. He rose from the table and headed inside to order up another round, enjoying the band's decent cover of Renegade, as made popular by the American rock band, Styx, while he awaited the preparation of their goods. The interior of the café was now quite crowded, and the barista, despite moving at an impressive pace, took a few minutes to make their drinks.

With their glasses in hand, Shuichi left the interior, using his back to push open the doors that fed out onto the patio. He turned to head to their table, immediately surprised at the sight of an unfamiliar man perched in his seat across from Davina. Judging by the looks of things, she appeared rather uncomfortable by this strange presence, but was attempting to be polite, even as her gaze flittered nervously around the perimeter.

Shuichi felt a deep seated anger blossom within his chest at the sight—who was this stranger that dared to approach her in his absence, much less try to engage in conversation with her? He swallowed hard, attempting to calm his internal fury as he approached, purposely putting more weight into his steps in an attempt to make his presence known. The man's back was to him as he walked over to their table, and he caught wind of the conversation, which was fairly one-sided.

"Are you sure I can't grab you a drink? It's a shame that someone so pretty is out here all by herself," he heard the guy say, and took the opportunity to clear his throat. The subtle sound had the desired effect, catching the uninvited party's attention almost instantly. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Shuichi, his dark eyes growing wide with surprise.

"As you can see, she's not by herself," Shuichi announced, his tone thick with irritation as he placed their beverages down on the table top in their respective places. The look of absolute relief was clear on Davina's visage, and it quelled his anger somewhat. "And even if she was, there is nothing about her body language that claims she's comfortable with you inviting yourself into her presence, so I kindly suggest that you take your leave."

The guy stood up at once, looking sheepish.

"Sorry, man, I didn't know she had a boyfriend," he offered, appearing embarrassed for intruding.

"I did say that I was here with someone," Davina interjected bluntly, her voice heavy with obvious discomfort. "You chose to ignore that."

"Well, I didn't see you out here with anyone," the unnamed party sputtered, appearing defensive.

"It doesn't matter," Shuichi offered coldly, his eyes growing narrow as he fixed the man with a harsh stare. The guy finally took the hint, deciding it best to not attempt to argue, and fled the patio. Davina sighed in reprieve as he relocated back inside, fixing Shuichi with a grateful smile.

"Thank you for that," she said, the bitter scent of her distress quickly fleeing the surrounding air.

"Happy I could be of service," he retorted, attempting to smile over at her disarmingly. Internally, he was still somewhat seething, but witnessing her genuine comfort at his reappearance had calmed the worst of it. "I suppose I can hardly blame him for wanting to speak with you. If I were him, I'd be thirsting for your attention, too." He almost regretted the honest admission as the words fled his lips, but by the time he had realized just what he had said, it was far too late to withdraw his statement. She appeared surprised at his declaration, but managed to recover quickly enough.

"Well, my attention isn't for him," she replied evenly, meeting his gaze as he slid back down into his chair. Her response prompted a flood of satisfaction to wash over Shuichi, who fixed her with a agreeable smile.

"Thank you for my coffee," she tacked on, reaching for her glass and taking a long sip of the cold beverage.

"You're quite welcome."

"Was that Renegade I heard being played in there?"

"It was."

"A great song—sounds like they were making a good go of it."

"I would say so."

"I wonder if they take requests."

Shuichi considered her inquiry for a moment.

"I believe they do, towards the end of their set, which should be any minute now."

"Think we could get them to play some Billy Joel?" she asked softly, referencing their earlier conversation. Davina had been pleasantly surprised to discover that he too was an avid fan of the piano playing musician, an artist who had been introduced to him during his youth by his mother.

"It's a fair possibility. Did you want to head inside and find out?"

She nodded her head in agreement, and after a long moment, the pair relocated to the café's interior.

Due to the crowd, it was impossible to find seating, so the pair opted to stand at the bar with their drinks. Shuichi wasn't entirely pleased at their new position, but pushed his discontentment aside, standing in close proximity to Davina, who had perched just in front of him and was watching the stage with an interested eye. The band was in the midst of playing Careless Whisper by Wham!, and judging by the loose sway of her lithe body to the music, she was rather enjoying the song.

Once their current song came to a conclusion, the lead vocalist put out the offer for requests. Before Davina had the opportunity, Shuichi was headed over to place one on her behalf—she hadn't mentioned her favorite Billy Joel song in their prior conversation, so he requested his own. The singer seemed appreciative at his suggestion, and readily agreed to perform it.

"Any announcement to go with it for your girl?" he asked, his question catching Shuichi briefly off guard.

"Erm, she's not my girl…at least, not yet," Shuichi replied, attempting a halfhearted joke.

"Ah, gotcha. Well, good luck, man. We'll play it for ya shortly."

He nodded in appreciation and returned to Davina's side, meeting her curious gaze as he slipped back into his spot.

"What did you ask them to play?" she inquired, quirking a brow in his direction.

"Something I think you'll enjoy—or so I hope," he offered with an air of mystery, accompanied by a smirk that was almost playful in nature.

Davina opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by the head singer speaking over the microphone, his voice booming throughout the establishment.

"This first request goes out to the girl who isn't his girl—at least, not yet," he announced with a smile, and Shuichi felt his stomach churn as if he had sustained a sharp hit to the belly—well, fuck. That hadn't been his intention, but the words were already spoken for all to hear. The piano player began to play, the unmistakable tones of Billy Joel's She's Always A Woman filling the air. The vocalist began to croon into the mic, and his voice flooded the room with the powerful lyrics of the song.

"She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes…
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies…
And she only reveals what she wants you to see…
She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me…"

So lost in his own turmoil was he that Shuichi almost missed Davina's gasp of pleasure at the realization of the song begin performed.

"This is my favorite Billy Joel song!" she exclaimed, her eyes set aglow with abrupt joy. If the singer's prior statement had affected her at all, she did not show it. She looked over at Shuichi and fixed him with a smile that beamed brightly, lighting up her entire face with a delightful glee that was innocent and endearing. Despite his feelings, Shuichi felt himself smiling back at her—her visage was infectious, and he couldn't deny the sense of accomplishment he experienced at the sight.

"Mine as well," he admitted, watching her intently as she began to hum along with the melody. He was hit with a sudden urge to slip his hands around her waist and pull her towards him, but forced he desire away, knowing that such an action wouldn't be appropriate for their current station. Davina turned to watch the stage, leaving her back to Shuichi, who couldn't stop himself from inhaling deeply into his lungs the intoxicating aroma that accompanied her delight. When the song came to a close, she turned back to face him, causally placing her hand atop his and fixing it with a concise squeeze.

"Thank you," she offered, staring up at him with those striking eyes of her, her gaze suddenly shy. He nodded at her, his stare meeting hers, and for a long moment, their eyes locked and held, bearing deep into each other as her hand released the hold on his. He nearly groaned at the sight of those hazel orbs slipping down to survey his lips, as if she were contemplating kissing him—it was only for the briefest of seconds, but the thought behind that look was unmistakable. Shuichi felt a pang of disappointment as her stare fell lower, onto his chest, a soft pink flush blooming on her pale cheeks, as if even considering the notion embarrassed her.

She was obviously caught up in the moment, but struggling to maintain herself and respect the unspoken boundaries that hung between them. Part of him was grateful to her for it—the other part of him desired for her to throw caution to the wind and take the plunge. The moment ended when the next song request began to play, and Davina returned her attention to the stage, her back once more facing Shuichi. He permitted himself a small, quiet sigh then, knowing that she wouldn't be able to perceive the subtle sound over the din that filled the room.

. . .

In light of how well things were progressing, Davina found herself to be in a rather delightful mood—all of the prior discomfort between Shuichi and herself had abated, and for that, she was grateful. The ease in which they conversed came as a surprise to her—she felt compelled to share herself with him, encouraged by his steady interest and detailed responses to her inquiries. The fact that Shuichi appeared as if he too were enjoying their chat with a similar kind of vigor only inspired her previously dwindling confidence, which provided her a sense of blissful reprieve. In light of their sharing, she was certainly more relaxed around him now, and had discovered a sort of tranquility in his presence alone—she found herself liking him even more than she had originally anticipated, an idea which made her feel both exceedingly nervous and yet eager at the same time.

Time had managed to escape their grasp while in each other's company, their drinks having vanished at some point—Davina only noticed her glass was lacking when she raised it to her lips to claim a sip and was awarded only with a few mere droplets of coffee. Shuichi must have noticed, as he made the suggestion to grab another round, and she was quick to agree. Of his own accord, he snatched up their empty cups and left their table on the patio to into the café, the echoes of the live music flittering outside in wake of his entrance into the building.

Davina thought she recognized the song as it reached her ears, but wasn't certain—she knew that some of the earlier genres of American music had been rather popular in Japan. Her late grandparents had boasted quite an impressive collection of old records, many of them American rock and contemporary tunes from the seventies and eighties. It had been Grandpa Ishihara that had shared his fondness of that particular kind of music with her when she was a child, which had prompted her own discovery and inspired her to branch out accordingly—the old man had certainly had good taste in tunes, and had even left her a good chunk of his vinyl collection upon his passing. One of her favorite memories of her grandfather was centered around them cooking a meal together and singing along to David Bowie.

Davina found herself smiling at the recollection—lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the arrival of a strange party onto the patio. Before she had the chance to react, her uninvited guest had perched himself in Shuichi's vacant chair, and was smiling over at her with obvious interest. Her eyes widened at his unanticipated presence, startled at his audacity to approach her without any sort of prompting. He was obviously older than she, but only by a handful of years, with dark eyes and poorly dyed blue hair, dressed in dark clothing and unabashedly eying her the way a hungry lion might gaze at an isolated gazelle. Immediately, she experienced a sense of unease, but held herself together.

"Can I help you?" she asked pointedly, fixing him with a stare that was meant to discourage him. He ignored the look in its entirety, seemingly unfazed by her obvious lack of want for their interaction.

"I've never seen you in here before," he offered, giving her a leisurely once over, his gaze lingering on her bosom without shame. "You new around here?"

"I am, and I'm here with someone, so perhaps you should—"

"You should let me buy ya a drink," he interjected, completely interrupting her words and then acting as if she hadn't been speaking to him. Her discomfort was peppered with frustration—she wasn't one for confrontation, and on the few rare occasions in which she had been similarly cornered in such a manner, she could never seem to abandon her politeness and tell the offending person to fuck off, even when it was warranted and the desire to do so was biting. Her best friend was far better at this sort of thing—Selina's backbone was made of steel, and she had absolutely no issue with telling someone to go take a long walk off a short cliff.

"No thank you," she replied shortly, wishing she could channel even an iota of Selina's 'fuck you and the horse you rode in on' sass. "I'm not interested."

"Aww, c'mon now, no need to be like that," the unnamed man cooed, feigning a hurt look. "I'm just trying to be friendly. Are you sure I can't grab you a drink? It's a shame that someone so pretty is out here all by herself."

The sound of a throat being loudly cleared drew Davina's attention then, and it was with a rush of respite that she realized Shuichi had returned. The sound had the guy glancing back, his eyes growing wide when he caught wind of Shuichi's presence.

"As you can see, she's not by herself," the redheaded male spoke, his tone aflame with obvious annoyance. He moved forward to place their refreshed beverages down on the table, a silent warning lingering behind his eyes. "And even if she was, there is nothing about her body language that claims she's comfortable with you inviting yourself into her presence, so I kindly suggest that you take your leave."

The guy immediately ejected himself out of the seat, looking almost guilty.

"Sorry, man, I didn't know she had a boyfriend," he responded, having the gall to sound embarrassed, which only made Davina experience a rush of irritation.

"I did say that I was here with someone," she said frigidly. "You chose to ignore that."

"Well, I didn't see you out here with anyone," he retorted, to which she fixed him with an incredulous stare.

"It doesn't matter," Shuichi continued, his eyes narrowing. There was a silent power behind that harsh gaze, one that prompted the guy to exit the patio much like a dog that had been scolded by his owner. He fled back into the café's interior without further protest. Davina nearly sighed with liberation at his hasty retreat, shooting an appreciative smile her companion's way.

"Thank you for that," she offered, feeling at ease once more. His presence made her feel safe, now that he had managed to scare away the riff raff with a mere glare.

"Happy I could be of service," he replied, returning her smile, even if there was still heat behind his intense gaze. "I suppose I can hardly blame him for wanting to speak with you. If I were him, I'd be thirsting for your attention, too." Davina felt her visage contort with shock at his unexpected statement, the meaning behind his words almost too much for her mind to process in the moment. Regardless, it sent a sudden rush of heat to warm her belly, and she fought the urge to let the warmth singe her cheeks.

"Well, my attention isn't for him," she responded quickly, her lips forming the words before she could consider them. It was a true statement, one that caused Shuichi's smile to widen, as if her honest admission had pleased him in some unspoken way while he reclaimed his seat.

"Thank you for my coffee," she offered quietly, snatching up her drink and swallowing a considerable mouthful, her mouth having suddenly gone dry.

"You're quite welcome."

A long moment of silence followed, and Davina opted to steer the conversation away from the aggravating event that had just transpired.

"Was that Renegade I heard being played in there?" she inquired curiously.

"It was."

So, she had been correct about the selection—Styx had been among her grandfather's favorite bands. "A great song—sounds like they were making a good go of it."

He appeared to consider her opinion. "I would say so."

"I wonder if they take requests," she said curiously. She would love to hear more from the band—judging from what she had already heard, they were quite talented, and she bet they could do justice to a few of her favorites if asked.

"I believe they do, towards the end of their set, which should be any minute now," Shuichi offered, which inspired her further.

"Think we could get them to play some Billy Joel?" The mention of one of their mutually favorite musicians made him appear thoughtful, as if he were considering the idea.

"It's a fair possibility. Did you want to head inside and find out?" he asked softly, to which she nodded. She knew it would interrupt their interaction, but she couldn't quell her desire to enjoy at least a segment of the live music that was offered.

'Just a song or two,' she told herself. 'Then we can return here afterwards.'

They headed inside—as expected, there was no seating available, so they claimed a small free space over at the bar, standing before it with their drinks on the wooden bar top. The band was currently playing their rendition of George Michael's Careless Whisper, complete with the heady saxophone rift. Davina couldn't help but smile—the sax player was making easy work of the prominent solo, and that in itself made her happy. She stood just in front of Shuichi, her eyes drawn to the stage, her body swaying almost instinctively to the melody as it echoed among the room. The acoustics of the building were amazing, which only heightened the experience.

Shortly after the current song concluded, the lead asked the audiences for any requests. Davina was prepared to head forth, but Shuichi beat her to the punch, making his way over to the stage before she could move. She witnessed him share a brief conversation with the singer, and found herself curious over what song he would select for them to play.

"What did you ask them to play?" she asked inquisitively upon his return. She found herself entertaining a vague hope that, if he had requested anything from Billy Joel, it wasn't the hit, Piano Man—a great song, but one that she found to be over played and almost lack luster compared to some of his other works.

"Something I think you'll enjoy—or so I hope," he replied evenly, his lips molding into a knowing smirk that made something within her tingle with anticipation. She prepared to respond to him, only to find herself halted as the lead singer once again grabbed the mic to make an announcement.

"This first request goes out to the girl who isn't his girl—at least, not yet," he offered to the full room, smiling over in the direction of Shuichi and Davina. Her eyes grew wide, but before she could react, the saxophone player had taken up residence on the stage's piano and had begun to play a tune that rang familiar within her ears—She's Always A Woman, by none other than Billy Joel. The singer began to belt out the lyrics to a song held close to her heart, and in that moment, Davina's mind couldn't focus on the intriguing statement that had preceded it. She gasped aloud with delight.

"This is my favorite Billy Joel song!" she announced excitedly, glancing over at Shuichi and fixing him with a smile that spoke volumes.

"Mine as well," he offered, appearing pleased by her ecstatic reaction. She couldn't keep herself from humming eagerly along to the melody, giving her back to him once again in favor of watching the musicians play through the song.

"And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden…
Then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding…
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be…
Blame it all on yourself cause she's always a woman to me…"

At the conclusion, Davina returned her attention to Shuichi, unable to stop herself from putting her hand on top of his own and favoring it with a firm squeeze of appreciation.

"Thank you," she said kindly, realizing just how intensely his stare was he looked down at her. It drew her in quickly, even as he fixed her with a short nod, holding steady. Those emerald depths were intoxicating, and for a long moment, Davina lost herself in them. The sudden urge to step forward and press her lips against his struck her with a fierceness she didn't understand, prompting her gaze to shift from his eyes down to the expanse of his lips, which looked painfully tempting. She considered the action, but ultimately decided to let the moment pass, not believing that such a gesture would be welcomed by her companion and not wanting to ruin the rapport so newly established between them. Davina lowered her gaze onto his chest, feeling her cheeks rapidly flush with heat. She wanted to kiss him, truly she did—but she also realized that her desire was inspired by the current mental high she was experiencing, and to act on such an urge when all caught up in her own feelings would be folly. But for the tiniest second, she could have sworn she witnessed disappointment momentarily cloud his eyes when she dared to glance back up.

Fortunately, a distraction arrived when the band moved on to play their next request, a Japanese song she did not know off hand, but she took the opportunity to focus her attention back to the stage, needing a few minutes to collect herself and get her head straight. Following several more requests, they finished their drinks and ultimately decided that it was time to head for home—Davina couldn't hide her surprise when she realized that they had been at the café for nearly three hours—it was just after five when they left to head for the train station.

By the time they had made the walk back to the depot, much of Davina's giddiness had escaped her, but left her in a state of delicate euphoria that left a smile etched upon her lips. She hadn't anticipated things going as well as they had, especially when the manner in which the day had started out was taken into consideration.

The return ride was again had in silence, but a pleasant one. Once they had disembarked, Shuichi, ever a gentleman, offered to walk her home. While she didn't wish to inconvenience him, she agreed, not wanting to part from his company until absolutely necessary. They ambled to her apartment, and he walked her all the way over to the stairs, pausing so they could say their farewells.

"Thank you for an amazing day," she said, feeling a pang of disappointment that things had finally come to an end. She climbed up two of the stairs and paused in her stride to look back at him. "I had an incredible time with you," Davina admitted quietly, letting her words linger in favor of buying a few more moments in his presence.

"As did I," he replied, offering her a gentle smile, his eyes soft. "Perhaps we can do it again sometime soon?"

"I'd like that," she responded, hoping that his suggestion was a sincere one.

"Hopefully, I'll see you at school. If not, please feel free to message me."

"I definitely will. If you don't mind, will you shoot me a quick text when you get home? Just so I know that you made it there safe?"

Her concern for his well being appeared to surprise him, but he nodded in silent agreement.

"Have a good evening, Davi," he offered, calling her by her nickname for the first time in their short companionship. She rather liked the way it sounded when spoken in his voice.

"You too, Shuichi. I'll talk to you soon."

He took his leave of her then, and she climbed the remaining stairs up to the second floor, making the short walk over to her apartment door. She paused in her stride, turning to glance out over the balcony at his retreating form. She only watching him for a moment, but felt her heart leap at the sight, her belly doing a nervous little flip as she witnessed him cross the street and continue on his way. Swallowing hard, she returned to her door, unlocking it and slipping inside. After closing it behind her, she rested her back against the smooth wood, sighing heavily and staring up at the textured ceiling as she took a long minute to collect herself.

Well, it didn't take a genius to understand that she liked him, and as more than just a simple friend. And judging by his own reactions, he might very well be entertaining the same idea. She was hesitant to even entertain such a possibility, but yet, here she was, hoping and almost painfully optimistic.

"I am so screwed," she announced to her empty apartment, smiling in spite of herself.